An evaluation of the level of awareness
and current state in Imo State, Nigeria
FEATURED PAPER
By Elvis Izuchukwu Nnadozie, Benedict Amade, PhD and Gregory Chimere Enyinna, PhD
Federal University of Technology
Owerri, Nigeria
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI), as a prominent digital technology, has made substantial contributions to enhancing company operations, service procedures, and industrial productivity across multiple areas. This study seeks to identify and assess the level of awareness and current implementation of various AI technologies among construction project firms and professionals in Imo state. The investigation was guided by the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory. The study used a descriptive, exploratory, and survey research design with a purposive sampling strategy to pick a sample of 442 respondents from a population of 932 respondents using Krejcie and Morgan’s method for sample size determination. The data collection and survey instrument consist of a well-structured questionnaire and site visits. The acquired data was displayed as frequency distribution tables using descriptive statistical methods from IBM SPSS Statistics version 26.0. The mean item score (MIS) was utilised to analyse the study’s major objectives. The study’s findings indicate that knowledge and current use of various AI technologies among construction project firms and experts in Imo State are somewhat low. This is due to the fact that respondents’ awareness of AI is somewhat low, with computer vision rating highest (MIS=2.75), followed by machine learning (ML) (MIS=2.59). The adoption of AI by the various respondents was also somewhat low. Predictive analytics had the highest adoption rate (MIS=2.72), followed by computer vision (MIS=2.71), machine learning (ML) (MIS=2.64), knowledge-based systems (MIS=2.59), automated planning and scheduling (MIS=2.53), and robotics and automation (MIS=2.44). This study advises that a concerted effort be made to ensure that practitioners in Imo state embrace the usage of applicable AI tools through awareness generation. Given the benefits of AI tools in construction project management, efforts should be directed towards the implementation of ANN and SVM to ensure schedule and cost issues are resolved.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI), Construction Projects, Machine learning, Mean item score, Imo state.
- Introduction
AI in construction, sometimes known as “Construction 4.0” or “smart construction,” has the potential to revolutionise project delivery. It provides solutions for automating complex tasks, optimising design processes (e.g., generative design), improving on-site safety with predictive analytics and computer vision, improving project scheduling and risk management, tracking progress with drones and sensors, and managing facilities more efficiently (Pan & Zhang, 2021). Studies in developed economies have shown that AI adoption can result in considerable increases in productivity, accuracy, and safety while eliminating waste and cost overruns.
Project management in the construction sector has distinct problems that have a direct impact on project success. These issues stem from variations in location, personnel, equipment, and logistics, as well as economic and cost variables (Nnadozie, 2025; Smith & Wong, 2022). These can raise the level of uncertainty during project planning and implementation, resulting in overspending, project delays, and disagreements among customers, staff, and contractors. Furthermore, traditional project management methods employed by today’s construction enterprises rely primarily on project managers’ knowledge, while data is collected manually in a variety of non-digital formats via decentralised storage. This results in the use of delayed, faulty, or inadequate information in decision making, jeopardising process improvement. The construction industry faces numerous challenges that have limited its growth and resulted in significantly lower productivity levels than other sectors, such as retail, health care, or manufacturing (Timilsena et al., 2024). The industry allocates approximately 1% of its total budget to technology investments, which is a fraction of what is seen in sectors like financial services and manufacturing. This underinvestment reveals that the construction industry is one of the least digitised in the world, with players widely acknowledging a long-standing culture resistant to change. The purpose of this study is to examine the level of awareness and present condition of AI use in building construction project delivery in Imo state, Nigeria.
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How to cite this paper: Nnadozie, E. I., Amade, B., Enyinna, G. C. (2026). Adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Construction Projects: An evaluation of the level of awareness and current state in Imo State, Nigeria; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue I, January. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/pmwj160-Jan2025-Nnadozie-et-al-adoption-of-AI-on-construction-projects-in-Imo-State.pdf
About the Authors
Elvis Izuchukwu Nnadozie, B.Sc
Federal University of Technology
Owerri, Nigeria
Elvis Izuchukwu Nnadozie, B. Sc is a Builder and construction project professional with experience in Site supervision and project management. He holds a Bachelor of Science (B. Sc) of Second Class-Lower degree in Building from the Abia State University, Uturu and currently an M.Sc. candidate in Project Management Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Elvis has just defended his M.Sc. thesis and is currently awaiting its approval. He can be reached via email: elvisizuchi@gmail.com.
Benedict Amade, PhD
Federal University of Technology
Owerri, Nigeria
Dr. Benedict Amade is a Chartered Project Manager by Profession and a Probationer (Member) of Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS). He read and obtained a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) Degree in Project Management Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria. He is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) U.S.A. Chairman, Research and Academic Matters, Association of Practicing Professional Project Managers of Nigeria (APPPMON) and a Fellow of Tertiary Education Trust Fund Alliance for Innovative Research (TETFAIR), and presently the Deputy Director, Centre for Research Innovation and Development (CRID) and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Project Management Technology all at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria where he has been lecturing for the past 15 years. His areas of research interest include construction project management, computer-based project management, construction supply chain management and information technology on construction projects. He has authored over 65 scientific publications in international refereed journals indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, Scimago etc. He has presented quality papers at international conferences both home and abroad. He is actively involved in other consultancy works. He can be reached at https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3368-5432; benedictamade@yahoo.com; benedictamade@futo.edu.ng; benedictamade2@gmail.com.
Gregory Chimere Enyinna, PhD
Federal University of Technology
Owerri, Nigeria
Dr. Gregory Chimere Enyinna is a Reader at the Department of Project Management Technology, and Currently the Head of Department, Project Management Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri. He studied B.Sc. in Geography and Planning and an M.Sc. in Environmental Management from Abia State University. He studied his Ph.D. in Germany. He is a Fellow of Institute of Management Consulting and the Institute of Policy Management Developers. He is a Resource Person at the World Bank Centre of Excellence in the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. He can be reached at pycongregco@gmail.com
